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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1886)
210 THE WEST SHORE. " Yes, to Mr. Ab1ott Tliny, at least, seem to be perfectly content When do you mean to follow suit, Jonn?" Joiin was gathering and eating blacklwrries. Slie IhmiLmI down a high branch with her umbrella, and gath ered all of the ripe fruit from it before she anuwered quietly "Jiotatall." Ijottie looked at her eagerly. " Why not? Jonn, you might Ml me whether you liavo any reason for Baying bo whether there in not dome ernon you care for? You know it would go no farther." "No farther than Mr. Iieiithall, you mean," Baid Joan, quietly. "No, Lottie, dear, I have no little ro mance to tell. I did have one, once, but it's over now dead and buried. There, now, you know all there is to know." Hlie walked on, ho abstracted that it was some time before she became aware that Lottie was crying quiet ly. Her large eyes became almost round with sur prise." " What in wrong?" and she put her arm around the weeping girl, and drew her to where the ferny bank of fered an inviting Beat "My hint hoMI w soblod Lottie. "Don't Joan, I thought Iwtter of you." " What do you mean ? I dou't underHtand you," said Joan. Lottie datthod away her tars and drew away from the encircling arm. " I would not Miove it before. Ho said you avoid ed him, coming from church, Sunday, but I was suro he wan mistaken I knew yon used to care for him. Why, if Fred were hideous, I should not care. He'd lw the Mine to mo. Hero, let's go back." " Go back! " Joan related in surprise. " 1 thought you wanUl me to go to the village with you." "Not now -not that way!" ami Lottie, looking very nervoiiH and exciUd, caught Joan by tho arm, and tried U) drag her back tho same way they had como. " Are there some cows coming," asked Joan, super fluously, for Uio mad hero turned a sharp corner, ami it would have been utU-rly iinNmsiblo to see anything till it was close on them. " How alwurd you aro, Lottie! I will not stir a sU-p till you tell me why." " lWause-WauBo-oh, here they are! " stammered Lottie, confusedly, her cheeks becoming red as hor eye lids. As she sxke, Iuthall and Eiuorsou turned the cor ner, arm-in-arm. "This was a plan, then! Initio, m never forgive you," she wliisxred. She shook hands in a old and disUntwsy with each f the young men. Lenthall was quite unconscious of Miy stiffuoM, for he had seen Uie wetnotia of certain eyes, ami ho was all anxiety to learn the cause. Kiuersou, however, instantly shrank into himself, for be had tteomne painfully sensitive, attributing any fan cied slight to his changed appearance. He was scarred, certainly, but his dark eyes had not altered, except in expression. "Shall we turn back with them, Kane?" Lenthall asked, and the other assented. There was no help for it. Lottie and Fred must be allowed to linger just out of hearing, and to converse in tender undertones. Joan felt that she had been trap ped, and suspected Emerson of being in the plot, though in fact he was under the impression that the meeting was accidental. " I am glad to see you are able to go out again," said Joan, formally. "This is not the first time; I was in church, Sun day," he answered " I saw you," and Joan tried to seem unconscious of his quick glance. " I thought so although you would not spook to ... m me. The reproach made Joan feel a little choky in the throat How could she tell him why she had shrunk from the meeting not trusting her power to greet him calmly? " This is the first time we have met," Kane went on, as she was silent, " since I offended you so bitterly. I hardly thought you would nurse that offense so long after I had axlogi,ed." " I did not," said Joan, finding a voice, but rather a harsh one, through her effort to command it " I was annoyed at the time, but that was all." Then her coldness and distance were all due to his marred face, Kane thought, and longed for the interview to end. " I shall not annoy you in that way again," he began, for tho sake of Baying something. I think when I fell on my head I must have smashed my organ of humor, for I have felt sober enough ever since." Joan's throat was a little troublesome again. " It is being out of health. That is all, I hope," she said, after a pause. "What, don't you think it an improvement? I mcmWr how you used to oomplain that I was never se rious." "And now I wish you were less so," said Joan, look ing away from him. " Shall we wait for the others? " "Ifnu like," he Bnswered, and he looked back to whore the lovers were following slowly far behind. "I never gave you credit for, so much vanity, Mr. Emerson," said Joan, breaking the uncomfortable si lence. ... "Vanity!" "What is it but vanity that makes a scar or two trouble you so much?" "It is not the scars that trouble me, but the differ ence that I find in my frionds," Emerson answered, moodily. " Mr. Emerson, you surely do not thiuk such a thing aa that could make any difference to your trienda." '